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Alan M. Petrillo |
The Katonah (NY) Fire Department looked at the long-range needs of its fire district and determined it should incorporate an aerial device into its fleet. But, the angle of entry into its firehouse and low support cross beams inside meant the department needed a vehicle with a low travel height and also one with a restricted length.
Katonah had purchased a pumper from Smeal Fire Apparatus a few years before and again turned to Smeal to develop a low-profile quint that would work for its situation.
The result was a 75-foot aerial quint with an overall height of 10 feet, 9 inches and overall length of 39 feet, 1 inch that carries a Waterous 2,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) two-stage pump, a 400-gallon water tank, a 20-gallon Class A foam tank, and a FoamPro 2000 foam system.
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| A low travel height and a restricted length were two major reasons the Katonah (NY) Fire Department chose Smeal Fire Apparatus to build a 75-foot quint aerial. (Photos courtesy of Smeal Fire Apparatus.) |
Specific Requirements
Dean Pappas, Katonah's first assistant chief, says the department had such good results working with Smeal on its pumper that the department instinctively turned to Smeal to work out a solution to its aerial ladder issue. "We also wanted the quint to mirror our new pumper as much as possible," Pappas points out. "Smeal had built a low-travel-height quint for a department in Rhode Island and our dealer, New England Fire Equipment and Apparatus, brought it to our firehouse and put it through our double-length drive-through bay, so we knew our firehouse could handle it. None of the other manufacturers we talked with would guarantee their quint would fit if they built it for us."
Pappas says the Katonah truck committee sat down with Smeal representatives and presented the department's list of requirements for the quint. "We wanted the vehicle on a single axle with full pumping and attack capability," Pappas says. "We wanted as much water as possible, plus a foam tank, foam system, and plenty of hosebed space for large-diameter hose (LDH) supply line. We were shooting for a 500-gallon water tank, but it turned out not to be possible on a single axle with the length of the vehicle we required. So, we ended up with a 400-gallon water tank and a 20-gallon foam tank."
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| The Smeal 75-foot aerial quint has a Waterous 2,000-gpm two-stage pump, a 400-gallon water tank, a 20-gallon Class A foam tank, and a FoamPro 2000 foam system. |
Atypical Height Need
Rich Peck, sales manager for New England Fire Equipment and Apparatus, says the maximum travel height requirement of 10 feet, 9 inches was considerably lower than that of a typical 75-foot quint aerial.